516. 第3节, 仅仅口头忏悔人是罪人不是悔改
关于这口头忏悔, 支持奥格斯堡信纲的改革宗教导如下:
没人能知道自己的罪; 所以它们无法被列举出来; 而且, 它们是内在和隐藏的, 以致于对它们的忏悔是假的, 不确定的, 错误和不完全的; 但是, 凡承认自己无非是罪之人, 就承担起所有罪, 无一遗漏。 然而由于良心的脆弱胆怯, 仍不能废除对罪的列举 (尽管没有必要), 但这仅仅是简单粗野人的一种幼稚的普遍忏悔形式 (Formula Concordiae协和信条, 327, 331, 380页)。 改革宗与罗马天主教分开后, 就采用忏悔代替真正的悔改, 因为忏悔基于归算之信, 这与仁脱离, 因而也与悔改脱离的唯信会带来罪的赦免, 使人重生。 它还基于与那信分不开的必然结果, 即在称义的行为中, 不存在人与圣灵的合作; 并且人在属灵的事上没有选择自由, 还有, 整个过程是直接怜悯的结果, 完全没有间接依靠或通过人。
516. By Itself, an Oral Confession That We Are Sinners Is Not Repentance
The Protestant Reformers who signed the Augsburg Confession have this to say about oral confession:
Not one of us can know our own sins; we are unable to list them. They are inward and hidden away. Therefore our confession of them would be false, inaccurate, maimed, and crippled. On the other hand, if we confess that we are nothing but sin, we include all our sins, leave none out, and forget about none. Although the listing of our sins is unnecessary, it should not be done away with, since it helps those with sensitive and trembling consciences; but this type of confession is vulgar and childish - it is best suited to those who are relatively simple and unrefined. (Formula of Concord, pages 327, 331, 380)
After they broke away from Roman Catholics, Protestants adopted this type of confession in place of active repentance because this confession is based on their belief in the assignment [of Christ's merit], which is said by itself to produce forgiveness of sins and to regenerate us, even if we lack goodwill and do not practice repentance. Another reason for this substitution is that inseparably attached to that belief is the view that we do not cooperate with the Holy Spirit at all in the moment of our justification. Yet another reason is the belief that we have no free choice in spiritual matters. And still another is the view that everything [spiritual] is the result of unmediated mercy - nothing is mediated by us or through us.
516. III. A mere verbal confession that one is a sinner is not repentance.
The teaching of the Reformed who subscribe to the Augsburg Confession about this verbal confession is this:
No one can ever know his sins; therefore they cannot be listed, being also inward and hidden, so that a confession would be false, imprecise, faulty and incomplete. If, however, one confesses oneself to be wholly and utterly sinful, one takes in all sins, omits none and forgets none. Yet the listing of sins, although not required, is for the sake of tender and timid consciences not to be abolished; but this is merely a childish and general form of confession for the more simple and untutored people. (Formula of Concord, pp. 327, 331, 380.)
This confession was adopted by the Reformed in place of real repentance after they had parted from the Roman Catholics, because it is based upon their doctrine that faith is imputed, and alone without charity, and thus also without repentance, it brings about the forgiveness of sins and regenerates a person. It is also based upon the fact that it is an inseparable corollary of that faith that in the process of justification man does not co-operate with the Holy Spirit; and that no one has free will in spiritual matters; and again that the whole process is the result of direct mercy and in no respect indirectly by or through the person himself.
516. III. THE MERE LIP-CONFESSION THAT ONE IS A SINNER IS NOT REPENTANCE.
On this lip-confession the Reformed who adhere to the Augsburg Confession teach as follows:
"No man can ever know his sins; wherefore they cannot be enumerated; moreover, they are interior and hidden, so that a confession of them would be false, uncertain, maimed and mutilated; but he who confesses himself to be nothing but sin, includes all sins, excludes none, and forgets none. Still the enumeration of sins, although not necessary, is not to be done away with, out of regard for tender and timid consciences; but this is only a childish and common form of confession for simpler and ruder people" (Formula Concordiae, pages 327, 331, 380).
But by the Reformed, after they had separated from the Roman Catholics, this confession was adopted in place of actual repentance, because it is based upon their imputative faith, which alone apart from charity, and thus apart from repentance also, works the forgiveness of sins and regenerates man; it is based also upon this, which is an inseparable appendix to that faith, that there is no co-operation on man's part with the Holy Spirit in the act of justification; also upon this, that man has no freedom of choice in spiritual things; and again upon this, that all things depend upon mercy apart from means, and nothing what ever is effected mediately by or through man.
516. 1 III. MERE ORAL CONFESSION THAT ONE IS A SINNER IS NOT REPENTANCE.
Concerning this oral confession the Reformed, who subscribe to the Augsburg Confession, thus express themselves:
"No man can ever know his own sins, therefore they cannot be enumerated. They are besides interior and hidden, and therefore confession would be false, uncertain, imperfect and partial; but whoever confesses himself to be altogether mere sin, comprehends all sins, excludes none and forgets none. Still, however, the enumeration of sins, although it is not necessary, ought not to be forbidden, for the sake of tender and timid consciences; but this is only a puerile and common form of confession for the more simple and ignorant." Formula Concordiae, 2 pp. 327, 331, 380.
This confession was adopted by the Reformed in the place of practical repentance after they had separated from the Roman Catholics, for it is based upon their imputative faith, which alone, without charity and thus also without repentance, brings about remission of sins and regenerates man. It is based also on this, which is an inseparable adjunct of that faith, that there is no co-operation of man with the Holy Spirit in the act of justification; and on this, that no one has free will in spiritual things; and further on this, that all things follow from immediate mercy and nothing at all from mercy that is mediate, that is, merited by man or through any effort on his part.
Footnotes:
1. This passage is in quotation marks in Original Edition.
2. Form of Concord, Formula Concordiae, designed to effect an amicable adjustment of the differences among the Lutherans, by drawing them more closely to their principal standard, the Augsburg or Augustan Confession. Most of the Lutheran Churches add this Formula to their standard creeds.
516. Quod sola Confessio oralis, quod Peccator 1 sit, non sit Poenitentia.
De Orali hac Confessione ita tradunt Reformati Augustanae Confessioni addicti: "Nemo usquam potest scire sua peccata, quare non possunt enumerari, sunt quoque interiora et recondita, quare confessio foret falsa, incerta, manca et mutila; qui autem confitetur totum se esse merum peccatum, is comprehendit omnia peccata, nullum excludit, et nullius obliviscitur. At usque enumeratio peccatorum, tametsi non necessaria est, non tollenda est, propter teneras et pavidas conscientias, sed haec est modo puerilis et communis forma confessionis pro simplicioribus et rudioribus". FORMULA CONCORDIAE 2 pag. 327, 331, 380. Sed haec Confessio loco Poenitentiae actualis a Reformatis, postquam se a Romano-Catholicis separaverant, acceptata est, quia fundatur super Fide imputativa illorum, quae sola absque Charitate, et sic quoque absque Poenitentia, remissionem peccatorum operatur, et hominem regenerat; et quoque super hoc, quod illius fidei indivulsa appendix est, quod nulla sit Cooperatio hominis cum Spiritu sancto in actu justificationis; et super hoc, quod nulli sit Liberum arbitrium in spiritualibus; et super hoc iterum, quod omnia sint immediatae Misericordiae, et non hilum mediatae ab homine et per illum.
Footnotes: